tightened 1 of 2

tightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tighten
as in tensed
to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tightened
Verb
Camp Pendleton has tightened access to the sprawling Marine base in North County in the wake of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025 But the Pole tightened when on the front foot in two baseline exchanges, moving forward at the wrong time and letting Fritz move out in front. James Hansen, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 The Biden administration tightened those restrictions in October 2023 and once again in December 2024. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 3 Jan. 2025 State Farm General, Farmers, Allstate and other companies have all declined to write or limited new policies, or tightened their underwriting standards. Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025 The automobile manufacturer said in the NHTSA recall report that the front upper control arm ball joint nut may not be tightened properly. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024 Department officials have tightened their camera policy, and raised the possibility of using AI to review the countless hours of footage that goes unseen each month. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024 The Commanders tightened their defensive alignment after Hurts exited the game. Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024 The defense tightened when Walker replaced David Long as the starting inside linebacker in November. Omar Kelly, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightened
Adjective
  • This inflexible posture, which overwhelmingly favors the left, is at the root of everything wrong with our modern news media.
    Becket Adams, National Review, 25 May 2025
  • Lack of flexibility: A party that insists on multiple revisions during negotiation might prove to be inflexible.
    AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Rachel Fletcher, commerce director How firm is the mattress?
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 13 June 2025
  • Critics have pointed out that Cisco has been in need of major fixes, which my firm Futuriom has detailed from end-user research over the past few years.
    R. Scott Raynovich, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Trump’s advisers remain animated by the unyielding belief that the economic experts were proven wrong in Trump’s first term.
    Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
  • The combination of an unyielding constitutional adjournment deadline of midnight Wednesday and a tradition of unlimited debate means little can pass without bipartisan consent, empowering Republican minorities that hold fewer than one-third of seats in the House and Senate.
    Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • The coils offer full lumbar support and are arranged to cradle your spine but are also stiff around the edge.
    Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 16 June 2025
  • Made from a linen and cotton blend, these napkins are soft to the touch straight out of the packaging and take no time to break in like stiffer 100% linen napkins you might be handed at a high-end restaurant.
    Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • He’s had a particularly taut tightrope to walk on Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
  • The fly hangs on its own taut line below the mesh tent peak and simply pulls closed from inside.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Stiff, straight, black hair and beard, indicate a coarse, strong, rigid, straightforward character.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
  • But Song refuses to stack the deck, including a comparable number of women whose rigid demands significantly narrow the market.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Money was tighter than a banjo string around the Carter house at that time.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
  • These sessions yielded bright, radio-friendly tracks that emphasized tight horn sections, group vocals and a polished sound.
    Jose Valentino Ruiz, The Conversation, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tightened. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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